Berkeley Lab Search

The dome has closed on the previous science chapters of the 4-meter Mayall Telescope in Arizona so that it can prepare for its new role in creating the largest 3-D map of the universe. This map could help to solve the mystery of dark energy, which is driving the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Scientists answered a long-standing question about the role of enhancers. And by better linking the genomic complement of an organism with its expressed characteristics, their work offers new insights that further the growing field of systems biology, which seeks to gain a predictive understanding of living systems.

Researchers used MAESTRO, an X-ray platform at the Advanced Light Source, to zero in on signatures of exotic electronic behavior in a 2-D material. They found that the material may be highly tunable, with potential applications in spintronics and other emerging fields.

In a promising development for smart photovoltaic windows, researchers have developed a perovskite solar window that can produce electricity while switching back and forth between opaque and crystalline states, depending on how hot the weather is. The transitions occur seamlessly, without sacrificing performance, as prior technologies did.

A detailed study of blue salt crystals found in two meteorites that crashed to Earth — which included X-ray experiments at Berkeley Lab — found that they contain both liquid water and a mix of complex organic compounds including hydrocarbons and amino acids.

Biological soil crusts exist for extended periods in a dormant state. When it rains, microbes in the crusts become metabolically active, altering the community structure and the soil chemistry. Using a simplified test-tube system and “exometabolomics,” can help understand the connection between the chemical diversity of soil and microbial diversity.

A research team including Berkeley Lab scientists created a comprehensive picture of how the same chemical processes that give lithium-rich battery cathodes their high capacity are also linked to changes in atomic structure that sap their performance.

How do gas masks work? Berkeley Lab scientists are using X-rays to study how gas masks developed during World War I are able to handle modern chemical warfare agents. What they learn could eventually lead to more advanced gas masks for both military and civilian use.